"You've been holding on a long time

And all this longing

And the ships are left to rust

That's what the water gave us."

The party ended well after ten o'clock that evening. By the time all the guests had left, Anja was ready to go to sleep. Not tonight, she told herself. She could not believe she was actually going along with this. Loki wanted her to meet him. She couldn't hurt him again. She wondered vaguely what he planned to do at twelve o'clock at night in the middle of the woods. Surely they would not remain in the gardens. They would draw too much attention.

Selena helped her out of her corset and into her nightgown. Anja was unsure why, but she figured that her older sister simply wanted to have as much time with her as possible before she left in the morning. This also left her in a predicament. She could not lace up her corset on her own. How was she to meet Loki?

She bid her sister good night and pretended to slip into bed. She waited until the moon was high in the sky and the soft sounds of Fandral's snores reached her room before she shoved the blankets from her body. She noticed absently that it had gotten chilly during her last few days. It almost reminded her of her home.

She snagged a shawl from her bags. All of her other clothes had been packed up for her journey but one dress and she did not want to risk dirtying it and being discovered. Instead, she settled for the wool shawl. She kept it tightly around her as she padded barefoot down the hallway and slipped out of the back doors.

*o*O*o*

Anja could hear a wolf howling in the distance as she treaded down the path that she had come to know like the back of her hand. It sounded so sad and alone. She kept moving, still slightly bothered by the darkness that surrounded her.

When she made it to the gardens, she could easily make out the layout of them. The lanterns that typically lit the pathways at night had already been extinguished, but the moonlight bathed everything in a silver glow. She could even make out the dark, tall figure that was walking towards her at that very minute.

"I am glad you came, My Lady Anja," Loki's voice was a small murmur, but she heard it perfectly. He took her hand and kissed it like always.

"What do we have planned for tonight?" she asked as she cleared her throat. He did not miss the uneasiness his touch gave to her, or the passion that kindled in her silver eyes.

"Whatever you wish," he said, taking her hand. His emerald eyes still stood out in the dark against a face so pale it glowed in the moonlight. She tugged her shawl around her a bit more.

"The river," she said simply.

*o*O*o*

Anja pulled water around her with all the ease in the world. Loki had been right about learning the other elements and their effect on her strengths. She felt like she understood more now that she had worked with the rest of the world's matter. She was passing a stream of water to Loki, the two sending it back and forth like they had with the fire. They were knee deep in the river, Anja's shawl all but forgotten on the shore. The cool air felt good on Anja's skin, a reminder that she was in fact alive.

He smiled at her each time she looked at him and she found herself smiling back. She knew she would miss this. Somewhere deep down in her gut she knew that he was the reason. It wasn't just the powers he was introducing her to on a daily basis. It was him. The only time she had felt at peace on Asgard had been when she was with him.

Loki started taunting her as her arms grew tired. "Come now, My Lady, surely you are not already tired?" She gave him a playful mean face as he sent the water back to her. "You manipulate water as if you were a woman," he said, playing on the Midgardian phrase, "throwing like a girl".

At that, Anja summoned a splash of water up from behind him as she sent the stream of water back at him. He grew disoriented at the water coming from behind him and it splashed him across the back before he could do anything else. The stream she had sent also nearly caught him in the face, but he stopped it and sent it back to the river. He shook his dark head, trying to rid himself of the water that had no doubt gotten in his ears.

"So that is how we are going to play, then?" he said with a devilish smirk on his thin lips. Anja was grinning from ear to ear like a wild woman. The moonlight made her teeth flash as her grin widened. She stopped smiling and started laughing hysterically as Loki ran at her, charging through the water. She turned to run, but as she reached the shore she felt strong arms come around her waist, knocking her into the shallow water. She ended up on his chest, her right ear over his heart as they tumbled into the water together. She was still laughing and when she opened her eyes and looked up at him, pulling herself away from him and laying in the very shallow water next to him. She was already soaked, what did it matter anymore? As the laughter subsided, Loki and Anja's eyes met again.

He brushed a hand over her cheek from his spot beside her in the water. "You are even more beautiful when you are happy," he said quietly. She bit her lip at that, sitting up in the water.

"I… We should… dry off," she stuttered. She realized that her nightgown was soaked and that it had become quite see-through as it clung to her body. She got up quickly, heading over to the shawl on the boulders and wrapping it around herself.

Loki followed her shortly and sat down beside her on the sand. An owl hooted in the distance, standing out from the typical melodies of the crickets and she tucked her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked over at him, at the smooth planes of his cheekbones. She found herself thinking of his arms around her and how good it had felt to have his weight on top of her just moments ago, taking her down... She closed her eyes.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly. Her silver eyes snapped open to meet his.

"How much I shall miss this," she said softly. No need in concealing the truth.

Loki nodded. "I shall as well, My Lady." His hand reached for hers again. This time she did not draw away at all. That seemed to surprise him a bit because he looked back into her eyes. Slowly, shyly, she brought his hand to her lips, kissing it like he had done to her every time they met since the ball.

He smiled a bit. "Will you be missed at Fandral's?" he said tenderly. "Do you think you should go back now?"

Anja looked at him for a moment. "Yes," she said. She stood up and he followed so as not to break their locked hands. "I want to thank you for all you have shown me during my time here." She sounded so false. Even to her own ears she knew she came across as wanting more. She knew he would give it to her too… but then things would be that much harder. She would be gone in the morning. She may return for her sister's delivery but then she would return back home to run the library. His eyes darkened as he realized she was not going to ask him for anything. "Farewell, My Prince," she said quietly.

She bit back tears as she turned back to the path that would lead back to the gardens and then her home. She was three steps away from him when she felt his grip on her wrist… swinging her around… and his lips tackling hers. She moaned against his lips. She actually moaned. It felt so good. So right.

He lifted her up from the ground at this point, kissing her so deeply that she felt a thrill travel down her spine and to her toes. This time she did not jump when his tongue slipped between her lips. She welcomed it. She felt the cool of a boulder at her back as he sat her down on the one by the river, never taking his lips off of hers. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and he kept her on the boulder by pressing his body against her. Only when she pulled away to come up for air did he move to her neck.

He kissed lightly in some areas, harder in others. She jumped as she felt his teeth nip at her throat in small bites down its thin column. He kept a hand behind her head to steady her, to reassure her that he was in control. Her eyelids fluttered when the hand behind her head gave away and moved to her waist and his face was gone from her neck. She opened her eyes to see him looking at her intently. The moment she caught her breath again she felt his hands at the shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders. All that she had on underneath was her nightgown: no corset, nothing but a flimsy piece of satiny material to shield her. Surely he wouldn't…

She was proven wrong. Slowly, he slipped the shawl from her shoulder, exposing the low cut neck-line of her gown. She felt his hands travel further up her thighs, under the material of her dress, and rest at her hips. She gasped against his lips as they covered her own then traveled to the sensitive spot under her ear. Her head tilted to the side, eyes closed as he worked a completely different kind of magic on her. "Lay back, Anja," Loki whispered in her ear, his warm breath filling it as he exhaled. She shivered as he placed a hand on either side of her in a cage and gently nudged her down, pressing his chest towards her and following her down. It was as if he were trying to keep as little distance between them as possible without actually touching her. His weight was quickly on top of her and she gasped again as his lips met the hollow of her collar bone.

*o*O*o*

Loki had been unable to help himself. At the sight of her turning her back on him to leave something had snapped. He needed her. He wanted her here with him. Her chest rose and fell against his as he hovered over her, her fingers wrapped into his shirt.

He heard her let out a little whimper of pleasure as he nuzzled her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin: Lavender and warmth- if warmth had a smell, he was sure that her scent would be it. His nose travelled the length of her neck, inhaling. "I… can't lose you," he sighed into the crook of her neck. "I just can't." He placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

He felt her tense a bit, coming back to her senses. "Loki-" It was almost a warning and Loki silenced her with his lips against her own in a kiss so gentle she nearly cried.

"Please, Anja," he said earnestly. "Let me love you," he kissed her forehead. "Just for tonight at least." He kissed her lower lip chastely. "And let yourself love me." He kissed her again, gentle caresses of her skin by his lips. "I know you do. I never wish to be parted from you ever again." He realized the truth of his words as soon as they were out of his mouth. The silver tongue had not made this one up. He knew this was truth.

And when she looked in his eyes he could tell she could see it too.

I know! Cliff hangarrrrrr! Please don't hate me! I'll update as soon as possible. I also want to take the time to say that this was probably the most sensual little chapter I have ever written when it came to 'sexy times'. I just felt like they needed some sort of tender moment, you know?

Also, I forgot to add this to last update, but someone asked how much longer I have on this story. I'm thinking three or four chapters? That sounds right. I may also have the beginnings of a sequel stirring in the void I call my mind. ;) But that's just a possible little hint.

Thanks so much for your support!

~Sirius